Information providing method

Abstract

An information providing method for providing a user who uses a device with information via a mobile owned by the user, the method generating the information to be provided to the user, in accordance with: lifestyle information obtained by a lifestyle information obtaining unit receiving the lifestyle information from the device used by the user, the lifestyle information being information on a state of operation of the device; and location information obtained by a location information obtaining unit receiving the location information indicating a location to which the user traveled.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An information providing method for providing a user who operates a first device, the first device including an appliance, with information via a mobile device owned by the user, the information providing method comprising:
 receiving lifestyle information regarding an operating state of the first device operated by the user from a lifestyle information obtaining unit, the lifestyle information including identification information for the first device; 
 receiving attribute information regarding the user from a registration information obtaining unit, the attribute information including identification information for the user; 
 receiving location information regarding a location of the user of the mobile device from a location information obtaining unit, the location information including identification information for the mobile device; 
 estimating the location of the user based on the location information; 
 estimating a pattern of behavior of the user in which the user conducts a specific behavior in a specific time slot from the operating state of the first device included in the lifestyle information and the attribute information; 
 predicting that the user is to act on the specific behavior after the specific time slot at a location which is different from a location of the first device based on a mismatch between behavior of the user in the specific time slot and the specific behavior in the specific time slot indicated by the estimated pattern of behavior and the estimated location of the user derived from a plurality of pieces of the location information on the user obtained by the location information obtaining unit; and 
 generating control information and providing the control information to a second device when the location of the user is a location which is the same location as the location of the second device, the control information controlling an operation of the second device based on the specific behavior on which the user is predicted to act. 
 
     
     
       2. The information providing method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein 
 in estimating the pattern of behavior, behavior of the user at the location of the second device derived from a plurality of pieces of the location information on the user obtained by the location information obtaining unit is predicted from the lifestyle information obtained by the lifestyle information obtaining unit. 
 
     
     
       3. The information providing method according to  claim 2 ,
 further comprising generating control information and providing the control information to an information presentation device for controlling an operation of the information presentation device to generate information to be presented to the user, wherein 
 in estimating the pattern of behavior, user behavior related to an item or service that has a given connection with an intended use of the first device is predicted, and 
 wherein the information for presentation to the user is related to the item or the service. 
 
     
     
       4. The information providing method according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the lifestyle information obtaining unit obtains a plurality of pieces of lifestyle information by receiving the plurality of pieces of lifestyle information from plural devices used by plural users, and 
 estimating of the pattern of behavior includes predicting behaviors of the plural users at locations derived from a plurality of pieces of location information of the plural users from the plurality of pieces of lifestyle information obtained from the plural devices used by the plural users. 
 
     
     
       5. The information providing method according to  claim 4 , further comprising
 attempting, for each of the plural users, to obtain consent from the user to obtain lifestyle information from a device among the plural devices which is used by the user before the lifestyle information obtaining unit obtains the lifestyle information. 
 
     
     
       6. The information providing method according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the information for presentation to the user is generated in a manner distinguishing between the plural users to whom the information is to be provided, so that the information provided to a user from which the consent is obtained, among the plural users, includes more content than the information provided to a user from which the consent is not obtained. 
 
     
     
       7. The information providing method according to  claim 2 , wherein
 in estimating the behavior, the behavior of the user is predicted based also on biometric information on the user obtained by a biometric information obtaining unit receiving the biometric information from a sensor which measures biometric information from the user. 
 
     
     
       8. The information providing method according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the mobile device detects and transmits a location of the mobile device, and 
 the location information obtaining unit obtains the location information indicating the location of the user by receiving the location information from the mobile device. 
 
     
     
       9. The information providing method according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the location information obtaining unit successively obtains the location information, and successively performs the estimating of the pattern of behavior and the generation of the control information. 
 
     
     
       10. The information providing method according to  claim 2 ,
 further comprising generating information to be provided to the user in accordance with the estimated location of the user, wherein the estimated location of the user is different from a location of the first device and the information provided is based on the estimated location and the estimated pattern of behavior at the estimated location. 
 
     
     
       11. The information providing method according to  claim 1 ,
 further comprising generating control information and providing the control information to an information presentation device for controlling an operation of the information presentation device to generate information to be presented to the user, 
 wherein the mobile device includes the information presentation device. 
 
     
     
       12. The information providing method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first device and the second device are different devices. 
     
     
       13. A mobile device which provides a user who operates a first device, the first device including an appliance, with information, the mobile device comprising:
 a lifestyle information obtaining unit configured to receive lifestyle information regarding an operating state of the first device operated by the user, the lifestyle information including identification information for the first device; 
 an attribute information obtaining unit configured to receive attribute information regarding the user, the attribute information including identification information for the user; and 
 an information generation unit configured to: 
 receive location information regarding a location of the user of the mobile device from a location information obtaining unit, the location information including identification information for the mobile device; 
 estimate the location of the user based on the location information; 
 estimate a pattern of behavior of the user in which the user conducts a specific behavior in a specific time slot from the operating state of the first device included in the lifestyle information and the attribute information; 
 predict that the user is to act on the specific behavior in the specific time slot indicated by the estimated pattern of behavior after the specific time slot at a location which is different from a location of the first device based on a mismatch between behavior of the user in the specific time slot and the specific behavior in the specific time slot indicated by the estimated pattern of behavior and the estimated location of the user derived from a plurality of pieces of the location information on the user obtained by the location information obtaining unit; and 
 generate control information and provide the control information to a second device when the location of the user is a location which is the same location as the location of the second device, the control information controlling an operation of the second device based on the specific behavior on which the user is predicted to act. 
 
     
     
       14. The mobile device according to  claim 13 , wherein the first device and the second device are different devices.